The Pitfalls of Motivational Speakers

As surprising as it sounds, being a motivational speaker has its drawbacks. These people may look happy whenever they deliver their content but their time in front of the microphone is just another facet of their lives. And just like any other career, there are certainly some disadvantages to it.

1. Less time with the family:

Take note that a motivational speaker is also a freelancer. Speakers have to constantly be on the lookout for the next speaking session or their income ends at their last gig. On top of the hunting, there’s also the traveling. Motivational speakers do not dictate where they want to talk. They go to where the people are, to where the audiences are. And that sometimes entails taking a couple of flights every day. With all the preparations and the traveling that they have to do, finding time for their loved ones becomes rather difficult.

2. Constant scrutiny:

Although motivational speakers do not have any bosses that give out evaluations on a regular basis, they have even more discerning critics that are always on the lookout for any missteps they make. The work of a motivational speaker isn’t graded based on how well they talked or how much their audiences laughed at their jokes. Their work is graded based on how much of a change they’ve created in the lives of the people to whom they speak. Their worst critics are themselves. And their audiences come at a very close second when it comes to scrutinizing their work. They are held to the highest standards every time they take the stage.

3. The other jobs they have to do:

Motivational speakers don’t just talk in front of an audience all the time. They also perform their own marketing and book work. They promote their services, they look for their own clients, they answer their own emails and they do their own presentations. People do not notice this part because all they see are the successful and happy people on stage who share their secrets to success.

4. The emotional toil:

Motivational speakers are some of the most emotionally-mature people. This is because they understand that people should not see them stressed or bothered. It would ruin their credibility to be exposed as people who cannot handle stressful situations. Their livelihood depends on their ability to make problems look like they mean very little. And even when they are actually stressed, they aren’t allowed to show it. They have to suck everything up and set it aside and replace all of that with a sincere smile backed by the willingness to inspire. These people could be smiling at the moment but there could be a million problems running through their head.

5. The tough crowds:

It’s not always happy smiles from an eager audience that awaits a speaker. Sometimes, it’s the disinterested stares of presidents, vice presidents, executives, managers, CEOs, and even COOs that greet him. Speakers might find themselves talking to older people who think they know better and they are supposed to teach and inspire these people. It most certainly isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.

But the one thing that keeps them where they are is the fact that they love their jobs. That is the biggest requirement for being a motivational speaker. They could put up with all these downsides and will not hesitate to do the same thing the next day because they have a passion for what they do. And that is one of the secrets to why they’re so happy all the time. Their love for their job outweighs the challenges that it brings, no matter how draining those are.